HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Figuring out Northern Kentucky University point guard Lavone Holland II is like dismantling a riddle with no answer. He’s a basketball star who shies away from the limelight and exists only in the moment, and yet the Norse need him to shine to advance through the Horizon League Tournament and beyond.

The way he sees it, the past is gone. The future hasn’t happened. It’s about the now.

“I’ve got to live each day. I can’t fast forward myself to the tournament. The tournament is going to come at the same time whether I think about it or not. I have to worry about what I can do today to prepare,” Holland said.

The senior has helped author one of the biggest transitions in Norse hoops history, from last year’s league tourney title and NCAA berth to this season’s program-first regular-season Horizon League championship.

He scored a team-high 17 points with four steals in NKU’s regular-season finale Saturday at...

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